Diving-dress.



No. 687,077. Pa'tented Nov. |9, 19m.

I F. H. SPRANG.

DIVING DRESS.

(Application filed July 23, 1901.;

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

WIN/[958 THE NORRIS PEYERs cu, Furrmmuou WASHINGYON. u. c, v

No. 687,077. Patented Nov. l9, l90l.

F. H. SPRANG.

DIVING DRESS.

(Application filed July 23, 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.-

M BY

m: NDRRIIS PETERSLQ, PHOTO-LITHOH WASHINGTON. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' FREDERICK HENRY SPRANG, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

DIVING-DRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 687,077, dated November19; 1901.

Application filed July 23, 1901- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK HENRY SPRANG, india-rubber manufacturer, asubject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of 86 Grange road,Bermondsey, London, England, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in the Manufacture of Diving*D-resses, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Heretofore diving-dresses have usually been waterproofed withunvulcanized rubber, the proof-coating of rubber being carried on theinner face of an outer fabric and inclosed between the latter andalining fabric cemented to the rubber. Among other disadvantages suchdresses have been subject to rapid deterioration consequent on theliability of the unvulcanized rubber to be absorbed by the porous fabricin hot climates, with the result. that the proofing becomes defectiveand inward weeping or infiltration of water and outward leakage of airthrough the dress occur.

My invention has primarily for its object to enable rubber-coated fabricvulcanized in the piece to be used,which has not heretofore been foundpossible in consequence of the difficulty of making the seams by whichtheparts whereof the dress is made up are united; and my inventionconsists, essentially, in the structure of the dress, as hereinafterdescribed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure lis a general view of the dress. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional perspectiveview of the marginal portion of one of the constituent pieces of thedress before seaming together. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional perspectiveview of one of the seams (the front seam, for example) before the seamis proofed; and Fig.4: is a similar view of the finished seam. Figs. 2,3, and 4 are drawn to an exaggerated scale. Fig. 5 shows the shape ofthe pieces forming the leg and foot portion of the dress developed inthe flat.

According to my invention the vulcanizedrubber-coated fabric a, whichconstitutes the waterproof fabric of the dress, occupies the position ofthe lining of the dress, (instead of being the outer fabric, as usual,)the pieces thereof to form the dress being cut smaller than wouldotherwise be required to form a Serial N0. 69,372- (No model.) 7

dress of given dimensions and not being stitched together, so as toleave the waterproof fabric free from needle punctures. The outerfabric 1) is nnproofed, and it is cut into pieces corresponding in shapeto those of the proofed fabric a, but larger to allow for the inturnedmargins at theseams and for making and proofing the seams, ashereinafter described. Insulating marginal strips of nnvulcanized rubbercl are applied to the rubber face 0 of l the portions a, so as toproject for about half their width beyond the edges 6 thereof, afterwhich the pieces of the outer fabric 1) are cemented to the rubber facecofthe-pieces of hefabric a. I r

The dress is made up by stitching together, as at f, the pieces of theouter fabric b only, care being taken ,that the edges of the inturnedmargins g do not meet the edges e of the fabric a, but areseparatedtherefrom by the projecting margins of the insulatingstrips 'd.The proofing of the seams and adjacent portions of the outer fabric b isthen effected by solutioning on over the margins g first a strip ofunvulcanized rubber h, whose edges overlap and are united to theinsulating-strips avoided. All the seams of the dress are similarlyproofed.

Heretofore the legs of such dresses have been cut in one with the body,which has neoessitated the insertion of gusset-pieces to form the Vampsfor the foot portions, and consequently the formation of seams over theinsteps, where the greatest amount of fiexure occurs and Where the weardue to chafing by the straps of the divers boots is greatest. Accordingto my invention the leg and foot portions are cut separate from the bodyand are united thereto by circumferential seams, as at Z, above theknees, these seams being formed as above described, whereby suchcombined leg and vamp portion can be made with longitudinal seams an atfront and back only withouttheintroduction ofanygussets. This mode ofmaking the leg portions also enables them to be formed with a sweep orbagginess at the knees, as indicated in Fig. 5, whereby the flexure ofthe knees of the diver is more readilyaccommodated. The seamsl, bywhichthe leg portions are united to the body of the dress, instead ofextending'circnmferential] y, asshown, may be diagonal, so as, forexample, to follow the direction of the groin. The usualprotective.covering-pieces for the legs and other parts of the dress areindicated by the dotted lines at 0, Fig. 1.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is- 1. A diving-dress made of an inner fabric coated withvulcanized rubber on its outer face, and an outer fabric cementedthereto, the pieces of the outer fabric being larger than thecorresponding pieces of the inner fabric and alone being stitchedtogether, each seam with the adjacent inturned margins of the outerfabric being proofed by a cover strip of vulcanized-rubber-coated fabriccemented both to the inner fabric and to the intervening portions of theouter fabric.

2. In a diving-dress whereof the component parts are formed of an innerfabric coated with vulcanized rubber on its outer face and an outerfabric cemented thereto, the pieces of outer fabric alone being stitchedtogether and the margins thereof turned back toward the edges of theinner fabric, the com: bination with the inner and outer fabrics of aninsulating-strip of unvulcanized rubber interposed between the outerfabric and the edges of the inner fabric and projecting beyond thelatter, so as to completely isolate the edges of the fibrous portion ofthe inner fabric both from the body of the outer fabric and from theinturned margins thereof.

3. In a diving-dress whereof the component parts are formed of an innerfabric coated with vulcanized rubber on its outer face and an outerfabric cemented thereto, the pieces of outer fabric alone being stitchedtogether, and the margins thereof turned back toward the edges of theinner fabric, the comthe outer fabric and united at opposite edges tothe adjacent insulating-strips.

4:. In a diving-dress whereof the con1pol nent parts are formed of aninner fabric coated with vulcanized rubber on its outer face and anouter fabric cemented thereto, the pieces of outer fabric alone beingstitched together, and the margins thereof turned back toward the edgesof the inner fabric, the combination with the inner and outer fabrics ofan insulating-strip of unvulcanized rubber interposed between the outerfabric and the edges of the inner fabric and projecting beyond thelatter so as to completely isolate the edges of the fibrous portion ofthe inner fabric both from the body of the outer fabric and from theinturned margins thereof, a proofing-strip of unvulcanized rubberapplied over the inturned margins and united at 0pposite sides to theadjacent insulating-strips, and a cover-strip ofvulcanized-rubber-coated fabric applied over all and cemented to therubber proofing and insulating-strips and to the adjacent margins of theinner fabric.

5. A diving-dress having the leg portions made separate from the bodyportion, and united thereto by circumferentially-extending seams proofedas described, each said leg portion having longitudinal seams down thefront and back thereof so as to enable a sweep or bagginess at the kneeto be obtained and avoid the insertion of gussets to form the vamp.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FREDERICK HENRY SPRAN G.

' Witnesses:

W. M. HARRIS, FRED. C. HARRIS.

